Contribution of Supportive Persons to Health-related Quality of Life Among Family Caregivers of Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective The extent to which support benefits family caregivers and whether healthcare professionals effectively fulfill this role remains unclear. This study investigated whether the presence or absence of a supportive person affects the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of family caregivers of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and whether support from healthcare professionals influences HRQOL. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at Kyoto University Hospital between April 2020 and March 2021. A supportive person was defined as someone available to discuss personal concerns. Caregivers' HRQOL was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey version 2 (SF-36v2), and scores were compared between those with and without support. Further comparisons were made between caregivers who did and did not identify healthcare professionals as supportive persons. Patients This study included outpatients with ILD and their caregivers. Results Among the family caregivers, 78.3% reported having a supportive person. However, their presence was not significantly associated with the SF-36v2 scores. Compared to caregivers without a healthcare professional as a supportive person, those who identified healthcare professionals in this role had significantly higher vitality and mental component summary SF-36v2 scores (p=0.031 and p=0.012, respectively). Conclusion Approximately 80% of the family caregivers of patients with ILD reported having a supportive person. While the general presence of a supportive person did not impact HRQOL scores, those who had healthcare professionals as supportive persons demonstrated a higher mental HRQOL.